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Desert kingfisher with a strong black eye-line occurring across most of the drier parts of Australia.
Not listed
Endemic to Australia
Indigenous: Dhaadhiirr
At a glance
FamilyKingfishers
SizeMedium
RarityCommon
HabitatOpen woodland, creek corridors, forest edge, and scattered tall perches near clearings or water.
Best timeMost reliable in Queensland from May to August.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Louis Masarei
Range map
Range map
5294visible hotspots
31318visible records
5states
SparseModerateDense hotspot
Aggregated occurance data is sourced from 14 different actively-updating datasets including eBird Australia, iNaturalist Australia, BirdLife Australia, and multiple state-based bird surveys through Atlas of Living Australia.
Species notes
Overview
Note grayish streaked crown (blue/green in similar Sacred Kingfisher). Upper-wing is entirely blue in flight. Seen well, the rusty rump is obvious.
Behavior
Perches on high dead trees or powerlines. Excavates tunnel nests in earth-walls and banks.
Gallery